This invention relates to barrel or drum trucks for handling and moving barrels or drums.
Barrel trucks are wheeled devices that are used to lift a barrel from the ground in order to move the barrel. The typical barrel truck has two wheels, straddles the barrel and has a gripping mechanism for grasping the barrel, typically at the top of the barrel, and, in particular, at the top rim or rib of the barrel. An example is shown in an advertisement for the DTC01 Universal Barrel Trolley from SDS Bespoke Handling Equipment. The known barrel truck is moved into position with the wheels along-side the barrel, straddling the barrel and a clamp clamps the barrel at the top rim of the barrel. The handles of the barrel truck or trolley are then pivoted downwardly to lift the barrel off the ground with the clamped barrel being held in the frame of the barrel truck above the ground allowing the user to wheel the barrel to a new position.
A problem with the known barrel truck is that the wheels straddle the barrel. Thus, if a number of barrels are lined up in close proximity to each other, the barrel truck cannot access a barrel that is in an interior line of such barrels without moving the other barrels.
Also, with standard drum trucks which tilt the drum resting the weight over the wheels, the operator must exert substantial force to initially tip the drum. This causes many back, shoulder, and arm injuries. The present invention reduces the amount of force needed, and will also reduce injuries using leverage instead of strength.